News, Tips and Resources for Online Bargain Hunters
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Today, February 23, IHOP is celebrating the National Pancakes Day (is there such thing?) with their annual promotion. Come between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. to receive a free short stack buttermilk pancakes. One free short stack per guest, dine-in only. More details are at this dedicated website.
Yesterday I took my kids to Adler Planetarium. It was a week day and normally I would be at work, however being unemployed has its benefits and so I took advantage of one of the many free admission days offered by the planetarium.
Below is the 2010 free days schedule for the major Chicago museums. Since these dates can change over time, I strongly suggest you to use the links at the end of each section to verify them before you actually go. Enjoy!
Jan. 4, 5, 11,12, 16–21, 25, 26
Feb. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15–19, 22, 23
June 14–18
Sept. 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28
Oct. 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26
Nov. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30
More info at this page
Admission is free every Thursday from 5pm till 8pm
More info at this page
Jan. 4-8, 11-15, 18-22, 25-29
Feb. 8, 14
Mar. 18
Apr. 19-23
May 3
June 7-11
Aug. 30
Sept. 7-14, 20, 21, 27, 28
Oct. 4-6
Nov. 11
Dec. 6
More info at this page
Admission is free every Tuesdays from 10am till 8pm
More info at this page
Jan. 5, 11-15, 19, 26
Feb. 2, 8-12, 16, 23
Mar. 2, 9, 16, 23
Apr. 20, 27
May 4, 11, 12, 18, 25
June 7-11
Sept. 7, 13-17, 21, 28
Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26
Nov. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30
Dec. 7, 14, 21
More info at this page
Jan. 11, 13, 14, 19, 20, 26, 27
Feb. 2, 3, 8, 10, 11, 16, 17, 23, 24
Mar. 2, 3, 8
Apr. 12
May. 10
Jun. 2, 3, 14
Jul. 12
Aug. 9, 24
Sept. 13, 15, 16, 21, 22
Oct. 5, 6, 8, 11, 13, 14, 19, 20
Nov. 2, 3, 10, 16, 17, 30
Dec. 1, 7, 8, 13, 15, 16
More info at this page
Update 02/10: Go here for a version of this roundup updated for 2009 tax year
This is a roundup of the current promotions on the online version of TurboTax tax preparation software, the kind of software I have used for several years and will use this time as well.
Pick the type that fits your needs (Basic, Deluxe, Premier, or Home & Business), compare the prices below, and use the link to go to the promotion page. Bookmark it and make sure to use the same link every time you go back to continue your taxes.
It looks like I will go with Fidelity or USAA this year. I need Home and Business (both federal and state) and these companies offer the best discount. Please tell me which software you use. Also comment if you know any other on-going TurboTax promotion and I will update this blog post.
1. Regular prices
Intuit currently offers free basic federal filing at their website.
| Federal | State | Both | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0.00 | $25.95 | $25.95 |
| Deluxe | $20.95 | $34.95 | $55.90 |
| Premier | $34.95 | $34.95 | $69.90 |
| Home & Business | $52.45 | $34.95 | $87.40 |
2. Promotion by Fidelity
Go to this page and click on “Visitor Entry”.
| Federal | State | Both | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $11.20 | $26.20 | $37.40 |
| Deluxe | $22.45 | $26.20 | $48.65 |
| Premier | $37.45 | $26.20 | $63.65 |
| Home & Business | $56.20 | $26.20 | $82.40 |
3. Promotion by USAA
Use this link to get to the promotion page
| Federal | State | Both | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0.00 | $19.45 | $19.45 |
| Deluxe | $22.45 | $26.20 | $48.65 |
| Premier | $37.45 | $26.20 | $63.65 |
| Home & Business | $56.20 | $26.20 | $82.40 |
4. Promotion by T. Rowe Price
Use this link to get to the promotion page
| Federal | State | Both | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $9.70 | $34.95 | $44.65 |
| Deluxe | $19.45 | $34.95 | $54.40 |
| Premier | $32.45 | $34.95 | $67.40 |
| Home & Business | $48.70 | $34.95 | $83.65 |
5. Promotion by Chase
Go to this page and click on “Save Now on TurboTax”.
| Federal | State | Both | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0.00 | $25.95 | $25.95 |
| Deluxe | $20.95 | $34.95 | $55.90 |
| Premier | $34.95 | $34.95 | $69.90 |
| Home & Business | $52.45 | $34.95 | $87.40 |
1. Vanguard Flagship
Open to Vanguard Flagship Services™ and Asset Management Services clients. Go here for more info.
| Federal | State | Both | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Deluxe | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Premier | $9.95 | $0.00 | $9.95 |
| Home & Business | $48.70 | $0.00 | $48.70 |
2. Vanguard Other
Open to other Vanguard investors. Go here for more info.
| Federal | State | Both | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $9.70 | $34.95 | $44.65 |
| Deluxe | $19.45 | $34.95 | $54.40 |
| Premier | $32.45 | $34.95 | $67.40 |
| Home & Business | $48.70 | $34.95 | $83.65 |
3. State Farm
This year State Farm is offering free Turbo Tax only to the first 25,000 bank customers to claim the offer. If you are a bank customer with them, login to your account and look for “FREE tax filing” on the left side.
If you purchased certain brand name cosmetics products at certain department stores from May 29, 1994 through July 16, 2003 you may be entitled to obtain a free product valued up to $25 under an approved class action settlement.
Products will be distributed on a first come first serve basis starting (and most likely ending early the same day ;-) ) January 20, 2009 by the following retailers:
No rain checks and only while supplies last. A total of $175 million worth of free cosmetics products will be distributed nation-wide. Among the brands are such famous names as Chanel, Christian Dior, and L’Oréal. Go to the official settlement website at cosmeticssettlement.com for a list of defendants and a list of products being distributed.
Thanks to Vinh Danh for the tip (via Buxr discussion forums)
Update: go to the Birthday Freebies wiki page at Buxr.com for a current list of birthday freebies
Yesterday was my birthday. I spent it with my family at home. We just got back from a long skiing trip and I didn’t feel like leaving the coziness of our house in the cold winter weather.
Under different circumstances however my birthday could have been a lot more fun and the best part is that much of it would be free. How? Here are some birthday freebies you could use to fill your special day with free entertainment. Have more ideas? Bring them on in the comments!
Many restaurants will give you a free meal or at least a desert on your birthday. Some will come with a song from the employees to embarrass the special person. Often you have to sign up to a newsletter or a club to receive the invitation. I listed some of these places in my Free Food blog post, you can find more from the sources linked below.
It is hard to miss this freebie since Walt Disney is advertising it heavily on TV and Radio. What is the deal? Anyone showing up with a valid ID including proof of birthday will get a free ticket on that day in 2009 for one of the theme parks at Disney World or at Disneyland in California. More details at Disney.com
Big Bear Mountain Resorts in California offer free lift ticket on birthday. Here is a link to the 2008-2009 press release that mentions the promotion. Belleayre Mountain in New York is another such place. Make sure to bring an ID that confirms your birthday.
Sign up your new born (before age 12 months) using info on this page to receive a certificate for a free ticket to Ringling Brothers Circus that never expires. You can then bring the child to see the circus later when they grow up enough to really enjoy the entertainment.
More Freebies:
